Lanarkshire Beatson is a radiotherapy facility where the quality of the environment has been prioritised for patients and visitors.
Lanarkshire Beatson is a satellite radiotherapy facility operating as part of the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre. In a unique arrangement clinical services are delivered by NHS greater Glasgow and Clyde while NHS Lanarkshire provide the building and associated support services. It is located on the site of Monklands Hospital with the aim to help reduce journey times for patients in Central Scotland.
A&DS has produced a Case Study on the development of the Beatson Satellite Radiotherapy Facility. Download it to find out more about how:
- The design responds to the contrasting functional requirements of providing radiation proof bunkers, as well as light and welcoming spaces to put patients at ease.
- The patient experience has been carefully considered in the provision of light and welcoming waiting spaces, minimising corridors and providing and a sheltered courtyard garden.
- Charitable funding was used to improve the quality of internal finishes and furniture, creating a relaxed non clinical feel - especially in the atrium.
The following story highlights some of the points made in the main case study.
The project was born out of a need to cope with a high demand for patient radiotherapy, particularly in relation to the Beatson West of Scotland at Gartnavel Hospital, one of the busiest cancer treatment centres in Western Europe.
As the first development of this kind in Scotland, the project brief essentially
sought a facility that would meet the needs of cancer patients within a receiving and caring environment. Built on a vacant site on the Monklands hospital campus, the new £22 million facility, hosts state of the art equipment.
The principal design challenge faced was to combine, within a single facility, radiation-proof bunkers made from thousands of tonnes of in-situ concrete, whilst at the same time also creating a calming and aesthetically pleasant environment to meet the needs of potentially highly anxious patients.
Following submissions by five contractor-led design and build teams - all included under the auspices of Framework Scotland's Primary Supply Chain Partners (PSCPs) - the chosen delivery team comprised Main Contractor Laing O’Rourke in conjunction with Keppie Design as Architect and Interiors Designer.
"It's quite a small site," explains Peter Moran, Managing Director of Keppie Design,[...] we pushed the building to the absolute limit of the site as much as we could to create more space inside, hence the horseshoe plan of the building arranged around the garden courtyard."
Internally, the "light and inviting" final building features a central two-storey atrium space that accommodates the entrance, reception and main public/ patient waiting area, and provides access to all patient facilities including the CT/ Simulator scanner suite, the on-treatment review clinic and the radiotherapy treatment areas. By concentrating all patient activity on the ground floor this ensures accessibility for patients with additional mobility needs.
"All the ground floor accommodation radiates out of the one central space - the main entrance hall and waiting area adjacent to the garden - so this, combined with minimal corridor lengths, means that patients can't get lost anywhere within the building," explains Lead Architect Peter Moran.
Extensive glazing to the atrium space also ensures that all patient waiting and sub-waiting areas connect directly to the garden at the heart of the main hospital site, thereby offering a relaxed and restful environment pre and post treatment.
Another area of the new Lanarkshire Beatson that works particularly well for staff and patients alike, according to Robert Scott, Lead Radiographer, Lanarkshire Beatson, is the overall quality of the interior finishes.
"The first impression coming into the building is that it looks more like a hotel lobby. It doesn't look like a hospital at all, and this carries on all the way through the building," explains Robert Scott.
The garden coutryard, featuring tree, shrub and hedge planting around the periphery, serves to create a high quality setting within the wider hospital estate, whilst providing the sense of intimacy and human scale for patients, visitors and staff.
"As we move around the courtyard garden, there's an area with canopy across it like a wind sail. This is used by patients taking part in classes such as Tai Chi. It’s a good therapeutic use of the garden space," says Robert Scott, Lead Radiographer.
As part of the NHS art strategy, paintings by Glasgow-based artist Archie Forrest have been scanned and printed onto laminate panels displayed around the building. These images, based on foliage found in the Scottish landscape, complement the building's subtle colour palette, itself referencing Scotland’s natural environment.
Following the opening of the new centre in 2015, one feature of the design has changed in terms of its functionality, admits Scott. "We have a therapies room now. Originally this was designed as a quiet room but we decided that we've probably got enough space in the building to meet this need. So we gave the room up to the Beatson Cancer Charity, and what they’ve done is run with it, and refurbish it inside to create a room running therapies like reflexology, massage, and podiatry on weekdays. It’s been a great success, it’s very popular with patients."
"Personally, as the architect, I think a great deal of the success of the building is the internal environment, the oasis we've managed to create in what is a very, very busy hospital site.We worked very hard, as did the Beatson Cancer Charity, who did a lot of fundraising to help with the enhancements to the quality of the finishes that the NHS budget could not cover. It's really testament to them that they were prepared to stick with us and really push to gain a much higher quality."
In terms of patient experience the atrium space, courtyard, light and natural colour scheme have all combined to create a nurturing, un-clinical environment.
"[...]as a workplace it's the best that I’ve ever worked in and I’ve worked in quite a few radiography facilities," says Scott. “Everybody’s really pleased with the building. Most of the staff with experience working in radiography have been used to been working in dark basements. So to come here, it’s a win-win situation.”
A&DS would like to thank the following for their time and candour:
Colin Lauder – Deputy Director of Strategic Planning
Garry Currie – Head of Radiotherapy Physics
Robert Scott – Lead Radiographer, Lanarkshire Beatson
Peter Moran – Managing Director, Keppie.
Images Courtesy of:
Keppie Design and Hirst Landscape Architecture
